Fishing, as a recreational sport, has grow tremendously in popularity in recent years. Fishing is no longer restricted to the warm summer months. Many fishermen fish year-round. Spring and fall stream fishing is enjoyed by many. This involves, however, in many cases, standing in streams of 33' water with air temperatures of 15.degree. and wind chills making it feel much colder. Similarly, in northern states of the United States, ice fishing has become a very popular winter activity. Sitting in the middle of an ice covered, wind swept lake in below zero weather can be a chilling experience unless one is dressed in proper cold weather gear. While many satisfactory parkas, leggings, boots, hats and facemasks have been developed to protect the ice fishermen from the cold, there is a real need for a glove or mitt to protect the hand from the cold which, at the same time, does not inhibit the fisherman from swiftly and skillfully being able to operate his fishing rod and reel. This is essential if one is to successfully catch steelhead and anadromous fish noted for their subtle bite.
One attempt to develop such a fishing glove or mitt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,675 issued to Robert L. Huntt on Mar. 1, 1988. This patent describes a mitt intended to surround the hand and forearm of the fisherman as he grips the handle of a fishing pole. The portion of the fishing pole beyond the handle projects through an opening formed in the mitt. The fishing line exits through a special guide clipped to the pole. This guide precludes the mitt from interfering with the line. The reel associated with the fishing pole is also contained in the interior of the mitt. The crank of the reel extends through a special slit formed in the side of the mitt so that it can be turned with the other hand. Given this construction, in all likelihood, only a reel with a very long crank shaft would work satisfactorily with Huntt's glove. It is also likely that this glove will only prove acceptable for use if the relationship between the rod and reel is such that the rod can be comfortably held when the crank of the reel is projecting through the slit. The Huntt glove may not be acceptable for use with many standard rod and reel combinations.
Another effort to develop an acceptable apparatus for keeping the hand warm while fishing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,997,042 which issued on Aug. 22, 1961 in the name of James A. Mitchell. The apparatus in Mitchell is comprised of a tubular handle unit which includes an internal burner element. The apparatus also includes a fabric mitt which snugly embraces the handle of the fishing rod as well as the wearer's hand.
An important problem with prior art fishing mitts becomes apparent when one is stream fishing for Steelhead or Salmon. Steelhead, for example, run rivers and streams in a non-feeding phase. When they do bite, they very often hold the bait momentarily in their mouth and then eject it. Steelhead also drift backward in the current when they take the bait. These two factors make it difficult for fishermen to detect a fish on the line. Further, since Steelhead cling to the bottom, often preferring fast water, the fisherman must use adequate weight to tap along the bottom and set the hook when it feels different, soft or out of sync with the rhythm of the bottom. Only the sensitivity of a fly rod makes this possible. It is, therefore, vital that a fishing mitt not unduly interfere with the sensitivity of the rod.